Elkhart elementary school to get $10,000 library makeover

Elkhart’s Osolo Elementary is in line for a $10,000 makeover for their school library.

It’s part of the Living Libraries Project conducted by the non-profit Elkhart Education Foundation.

It's a move away from traditional stacks of books, tables and chairs.

The project is being spearheaded by the non-profit Elkhart Education Foundation.

To date, the foundation has completed similar work at eight different Elkhart elementary schools, like Mary Feeser Elementary. It has a totally new look.

That's the goal for Osolo.

“We add color, we add STEM learning stations that have access to technology and new literacy resources. We're all about engaging and exciting places for kids to come in and truly experience their learning,” said Ashley Molyneaux with the Elkhart Education Foundation.

The nonprofit group 100 Women Who Care, gave the foundation a grant to help fund the project.

“We've heard that students come in and are super excited to see their new facilities, they are so excited to be able to do extra-curriculars and other participation, that they may not have been able to do otherwise,” said Carrie Berghoff with 100 Women Who Care.

The goal with the project is to give the library a new look and feel—one that encourages students to read and learn, and have a little fun along the way.

“I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to do it here, I think our library is unique in that its open concept, it’s also a super large space, so one of the challenges has been managing the distances of that. So with the redefine, we hope we are able to have separate spaces for kids to use in more productive ways,” said Principal Gary Gardner.

“Utilizing this space, it will again start to have kids think about new ways in which use libraries and utilize media and it'll get them to thinking about things that we haven't even thought about now, moving into the next century,” said First Grade Teacher, Annette Hines.

The Elkhart Education Foundation is also making plans to do a library makeover at Pinewood Elementary.